# What's the deal with Gurkha?



## 04EDGE40 (Jan 7, 2014)

Hey guys, newbie to this forum. I've been away from the game for a while, I used to smoke regularly at Purdue and with my smoking buddies when I got back home. For various reasons I've lost most of the guys I used to smoke with and ended up losing my passion for keeping up with it all. I missed the camaraderie just smoking by myself, so I pretty much finished what I had and put my money towards other things (like marriage and actually having to pay for myself, who knew?).

Long story short I'm getting back into the game and I'm glad to be here! My lifelong best friend (my younger brother) is wanting to get back into it with me now that he has a little pocket change so we're starting to stock back up little by little.

I'm back up to about 20-25 various cigars in my 50-count, just old favorites that I've picked up from the local B&M and some Christmas presents from the wife. My personal faves back in the day were the AVO Domaine toro, the Excalibur epicure (my go-to), and the Java robusto with an ice-cold glass of Coke.

My question here is: what's the deal with Gurkha? Why is the MSRP so outrageously high, and the actual price so low?

I've been looking at online stores for better deals on new cigars to try, some samplers, some 5-packs. The Gurkha packs are always marked something ridiculous like 80-90% off the MSRP and I've seen guys on here saying avoid Gurkha.

So what's wrong with them? Why should I avoid them? And why are they marked so high and sold so cheap?

Thanks guys!


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

04EDGE40 said:


> So what's wrong with them? Why should I avoid them? And why are they marked so high and sold so cheap?


:welcome:

1. There is nothing wrong with a number of them, some aren't as good as others. You're best sticking with ones that are not purchased online. Many from CI are not actually made by Ghurka, but instead, CI has purchased the rights to put the Ghurka name on company specific lines in order to sell something with a familiar name. Ghurka is not the only brand that consents to this BTW.
2. You can avoid them completely if you choose and punch your ticket on the Ghurka-hatin'-bandwagon but there really isn't a specific reason to eschew them entirely.
3. Who cares what the MSRP is if you aren't paying it?


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## 04EDGE40 (Jan 7, 2014)

Tobias Lutz said:


> :welcome:
> 
> 1. There is nothing wrong with a number of them, some aren't as good as others. You're best sticking with ones that are not purchased online. Many from CI are not actually made by Ghurka, but instead, CI has purchased the rights to put the Ghurka name on company specific lines in order to sell something with a familiar name. Ghurka is not the only brand that consents to this BTW.
> 2. You can avoid them completely if you choose and punch your ticket on the Ghurka-hatin'-bandwagon but there really isn't a specific reason to eschew them entirely.
> *3. Who cares what the MSRP is if you aren't paying it?*


That's true! I just didn't know if it was a ploy to make you think you were getting some crazy bargain when you were actually buying junk sticks for full price. I just ordered a 5-pack of Gurkha Legends for $16 to try them out. That's roughly the price you'd pay for two cigars at the B&M, and I believe in giving cigars a couple of chances before dismissing them so that's a fair price. If they're bad, I save three for buddies who don't know any better and I'm only out $16!

Thanks for your reply! Like I said, I've been away from the game and the Gurkha deals are everywhere now, so I figured there was a catch of some type.


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

04EDGE40 said:


> That's true! I just didn't know if it was a ploy to make you think you were getting some crazy bargain when you were actually buying junk sticks for full price.


No, you're exactly right. It is nothing more than a marketing ploy and many get rubbed the wrong way by it. I just don't see where it matters since they NEVER sell for that. It would be one thing if half the time they sold for $30 a stick and half the time they sold for $5, but since they seem to be universally sold at a discounted price the MSRP really is completely irrelevant. I think some people just find it insulting to their intelligence :biggrin:


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## 04EDGE40 (Jan 7, 2014)

Well I see that you've written your fair share of Gurkha reviews, so I don't have much choice but to trust you!

I'll give them a try, and if I like the Legend I'll try out a few more!

Since you're a Gurkha expert, what would you recommend I try in order to get the full Gurkha experience, per se? I'm a medium to medium-full kind of guy. Never been a big fan of many full bodied cigars aside from AVO and a few other pricy options.


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## FireRunner (Jul 19, 2012)

The issues with Gurkha that you read around the internet is simply because many smokers have had bad experiences with them. This is not to say Gurkha cigars are all bad, but enough smokers have had poor experiences with them that they have a poor image overall. 

But, I would suggest trying them if your budget allows. There is nothing wrong with trying them, you never know they may be to your liking. And, if you don't like them you only lose an hour's time and $5-7.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

they suck. I mean try them, you may like them. but don't spend too much time


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

04EDGE40 said:


> Since you're a Gurkha expert, what would you recommend I try in order to get the full Gurkha experience, per se? I'm a medium to medium-full kind of guy. Never been a big fan of many full bodied cigars aside from AVO and a few other pricy options.


LOL. It's funny that you noticed that because it was realy a result of doing what Henry suggested- trying several in order to see what I thought. I had read so much negative press on the boards about them and I had half a dozen from various trades and what-not, so I figured, "what the hell". Mind you I have never set out to buy so much as a fiver of Gurkhas, so I don't want to give the impression that I smoke them regularly (not that there would be anything wrong with that). Of the ones I tested, they all ended up in the 8-8.5 range on a scale of 10. The Status Maduro was my favorite. Contrary to word on the street, I only had burn issues with one of them and it was still salvageable, just a pain in the ass. Bear in mind that they had all rested for several months at 65rh prior to smoking.


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## pmr1010 (Jul 13, 2013)

I have tried many from the Gurkha line and have enjoyed the flavor of most of them. Unfortunately the flavor is sometimes just out of reach because the ones I have tried have been damn near impossible to draw through. I got to the point once of jabbing the cigar with a bamboo skewer to try to open up an airway through it. It didn't help. Massaging it, cutting it down further, nothing. It wasn't too wet or not aged enough, it was too tight. I have had the same experience with many throughout the Gurkha line.


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## 04EDGE40 (Jan 7, 2014)

So to get a good idea I really should let them sit for a few months in the humidor. Not that I could smoke all five that fast anyway considering it's been averaging about zero degrees outside for a while now.

Thanks for the input guys, I'll see what I think and write my own little review about the Legends I bought. The whole thing just peaked my curiosity, so your help has been greatly appreciated!


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## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

04EDGE40 said:


> So to get a good idea I really should let them sit for a few months in the humidor.


It's more a matter of allowing them to stabilize at a decent Rh in order to avoid burn issues. If they are purchased online they generally ship >70Rh and few cigars burn well at that humidity.


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## Just1ce (Dec 9, 2011)

I have had several Gurkhas and I would say I liked about 25% of them so far. The Park Avenues I really like (the connecticut variety, I haven't had the maduro yet) and the Ghost was actually really good also. There is a B&M in my area that tries to sell some Gurkhas at the nearly $20 per stick MSRP price, but they don't sell many. The ancient warrior was also a pretty decent cigar though the draw was a bit tight. There was another one I had recently with a red band that CI sells and the name escapes me. I've had two - the first was awful, the second was pretty decent considering what I paid. The rest I have had were pretty sub-par, but generally Gurkha is not known for being a high-quality brand and most of their cigars are not know for being very consistent either. They spend tons of money on marketing and their branding is awesome, unfotunately their product isn't anywhere near as good as the hype so most people are turned off by their products.

They have a few good cigars, but most of the rest are worthy of a try once or twice and that's about it.

As an aside, I know of people who swear by Gurkha cigars and think they are the highest quality out there. I would contend that these folks have been duped by their marketing/branding/hype and aren't experienced enough with cigars to know that there are many much better options out there, but to each his own.


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## Fuzzy (Jun 19, 2011)

There are so many variations of Gurkha cigars it would be hard to to please all or even some. There is a Gurkha hate group here and on other forums, too. I have smoked a few, liked some, others, not so much. 

If you are new to cigar or just new to the brand, smoke a few and make your own decisions. It is hard to believe that a company can be as successful as Gurkha on marketing hype alone..


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## oldforge (Apr 30, 2008)

The only Ghurkas I have obtained in the past few years cost exactly zero. They were giveaways at CI. Were they worth it? Tough question.


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## defetis (Jan 5, 2014)

The Gurkha legends are about the worst one you could of ordered to try in my opinion


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## Tombstone (Aug 22, 2013)

I have tried a variety of Gurkha's. There are plenty I have liked and plenty I would not smoke again. 
Top ones I have tried
Red Witch
Wicked indie
Gran Reserve
Park Avenue
Cellar Reserve
Viper

Ones I would not smoke again
Warpig, I really wanted to like it but just did not enjoy it.


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## HIM (Sep 12, 2012)

[OT] Loki said:


> they suck. I mean try them, you may like them. but don't spend too much time


very well said :biglaugh:


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## Heath (Aug 16, 2013)

Ghurka is one of companies I love to hate. I really enjoy the 
cellar reserve
cuban legacy
I want to try the rouge they are a marketing machine buy a few and try them I also dont care for the large ring gauge allot of the cigars come in. I love to bash their msrp they list. be aware if a cigars msrp is $4,000,000,000 Its all marketing when they practically give them away on cbid.


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## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

I would say please try the Gurkha Cellar Reserve. That one made the top 25 cigars of 2012(?) or so on European Cigar-Cult Journal, now just called Cigar Journal - the bilingual German/English cigar magazine. It truly was excellent. Of the Gurkhas I've tried I really liked the Ninja (when it had the Cameroon binder), and perfecto shaped Anniversary.


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## Coasty (Mar 1, 2012)

Thank God we all don't like the same brand. The price would be so high we would have to cut down to one a week. I am a Gurkha fan and enjoy many of the sticks that have their name on the band. With few hundred Gurkha's in my humi, I try to enjoy at least one a day. The other 2 are something other then Gurkha. Some of my favorites are:
Cellar Reserve
Empire III
Ancient Warrior
125th
MSRP is BS hype. If you buy your sticks at B&M you will pay top prices for most cigars. Try the online sites and auctions and save a bundle. I get most of mine in as 5 pack samplers and very seldom pay more than $10.

And one other thing, keep knocking the Gurkha brand, it help keep my cost down and I appreciate it.


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## A.McSmoke (Jan 9, 2013)

Like many others have said, they just have a bad rep among cigar enthusiasts mostly for their marketing tactics, and their infinite offerings. Where most have a handful of blends with various wrappers mainly produced in the same country, Gurkha has who knows how many coming from dayum near every Caribbean island (except 1), all of Central America as far south as Africa and the Middle East. They're all over the place, and I believe that bothers a lot of folks who believe in just do a few things well, instead of doing a lot of things average. 

A few that I've enjoyed & would revisit:

Ninja
Cellar Reserve 
Genghis Khan


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## 04EDGE40 (Jan 7, 2014)

So I tried the Legend today.

I went out ice fishing with a buddy and took one for each of us. He's not a huge cigar fan, but he drove, so I picked up his lunch and gave him one (they were cheap anyway). He didn't make it to the second third and said "sorry, I don't want to waste it but it's just not great." That was about exactly right.

The construction on one of them was just terrible. He smoke that one obviously. The seams were extremely visible and the band wasn't even applied correctly. It had the better draw of the two though, as mine was almost plugged. So inconsistency seems to be a problem. They were a little too dry for sure, so the others are resting in the humi for a couple of months and I'll try them again when it's warm out to give them another chance. But the flavors of the cigar were so-so. He was getting a good amount of smoke out of his, but I wasn't out of mine. I smoked mine down to the band and decided not to finish it. It really wasn't worth it because it was getting dark on the lake and we still had to pack up.

I won't jump to any conclusions about Gurkha based on these because, as someone said, the Legends are not great cigars. I won't even make a conclusion about the Legend until they have time to sit in the humidor. But the first impression wasn't good.

I'm still probably going to pick up the Cellar Reserve and the Anniversary since those seem to be the cigars that people on here have enjoyed.


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## GoMets (Sep 25, 2013)

If you are new to cigar or just new to the brand, smoke a few and make your own decisions. It is hard to believe that a company can be as successful as Gurkha on marketing hype alone..[/QUOTE]

I agree with you 100%. Everybody has different tastes and likes as with everything in life. If they were that horrible they would be out of business.

Cigar smokers are as passionate about their hobby as are sports nuts. The average sports nut spends MORE time bashing his foes than promoting his own team because of the passion.

A Gurka made the top 25 this....is that all hype too?

Try them all and have fun doing it!


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## border bandit (Feb 26, 2012)

I, like many others, got started buying into Gurkha when in the beginning. I thought they were good...course I hadnt tried anything else because I couldn't afford it at the time. As time passed, I tried more and more different cigars and really didn't go back and revisit them. I do go back every now and then when I need a knock around stick. 

My list of ones I enjoyed:
-Cellar Reserve
-Regent
-Shaggy
-Widow Maker maduro

I PM'd you....


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## Damselnotindistress (Aug 7, 2011)

Damselnotindistress said:


> I would say please try the Gurkha Cellar Reserve. That one made the top 25 cigars of 2012(?) or so on European Cigar-Cult Journal, now just called Cigar Journal - the bilingual German/English cigar magazine. It truly was excellent. Of the Gurkhas I've tried I really liked the Ninja (when it had the Cameroon binder), and perfecto shaped Centurian.


*Had to go back and correct the name of the Gurkha perfecto - I didn't mean Anniversary but "Centurian"


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## TCBSmokes (Sep 25, 2013)

Well, this is gonna be interesting, for me anyway, as I have yet to smoke a Gurkha but have three different ones sitting in my humidor since September; a Blue Steel torpedo, Monogram torpedo, and Vintage Series 1999 toro. All from cbid and none of which appear to be actively advertised on CI anymore. Nor are they any of the ones singled out here in high regard, but with a grand total of $7 invested, I haven't much to lose. I also have a Gurkha Rogue Rascal procured from a local b&m (because it looks just downright delicious) for about $6 I think. 

Will be interesting to see if, regardless of hype, they stand on their own for what they actually cost, as some of the disgruntlement here is about their much inflated msrp's relative to actual offering price amidst glowingly superlative descriptions to match. Which I understand. And of course, others complain of taste, construction and burn issues, that no bargain price can warrant if experienced on successive tries, in my opinion. 

So, we shall see where my actual experience vs. perception falls. The latter of which, I have to say, is lower than before reading the Gurkha threads here, when all I had to go on was CI prose. Thanks. TCB


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## maddevildog (Feb 23, 2014)

I just started to smoke Gurkha's, i have been happy so far. Price is good and the smoke is good. I don't go by MSRP and the discounted price though.


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## Cigar-Enthusiast (Feb 2, 2014)

I just got one. Gotta try it myself.


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## thechasm442 (Jan 21, 2014)

The Beauty isn't bad. I haven't liked much else that I tried.


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